Hot water heating system



F. c. BRoDERl'cK HOT WATER HEATING' SYSTEM Sept'. 18, 1934.

Filed March 5, 1951 Patented Sept. 18, 1934 uNlri-:D STATES- .PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to hot water heating systems, particularly to a means of circulating water through the closed circuit of the system to and from the boiler, in connection with improved means for automatically controlling circulation and utilizing the heat of such water when not required in the heating system for maintaining a separate supply of hot water for domestic use.

Certain features disclosed in the drawing hereof but not claimed herein,a.re4 made the subject of a copending application iled July 21, 1934, Serial No. 736,385.

The objects of the invention arev to provide a simpliiled hot water heating system with improved circulation means for automatically shutting ofi the supply of water to the heating system and by-passing it through a water heater upon the attainment of a predetermined room temperature, and thus utilizing heat not required in the heating system for other purposes; a further purpose of the invention isto provide in such a system an improved velocity pressure operated valve in combination with water circulating means under thermostatic control, vwhereby the valve is employed to direct the flow of heated water through the heating system or entirely through a separate circuit. l

The objects of the invention may be accomplished by means .of a construction such as that shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

' Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the general arrangement of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a velocity operated valve which serves to control the ow of the heating water through a hot water heating device and through a house heating system, or exclusively through the former.

A preferred means for carrying out the invention consists generally in providing a circuit for hot water from a boiler through a water heating v device and then through a series of radiators lback to the boiler. A pump is provided in this circuit for effecting the ow therethrough, and this pump is under the control of a thermostat, subject to the temperature of air heated by theradiators. A'unitary valve structure for both the radiatonfeed and return lines is provided so that both these lines may be either opened or closed depending upon the velocity pressure of the water `and the operation of the pump. When the pump is not operating, the valve is seated.' shutting both the radiator feed and return lines, and

. coil, and conduit 17 serves to conduct the heated body, by the lower half'or the v alve being storage reservoir, the function of which is to maintain a separate supply of heated water as, for example, for domestic purposes. Thus, when the heat of the boiler water is not required for heating' both the radiator heating system. or the o0 heat radiating section, and the water heating section, it is utilied exclusively in the latter4 so as not t'o be wasted. Referring to the drawing the boiler 1 may be oflusual construction, either solid fuel or :duid o5 fuel burning, and the heated water from the boiler leaves it through the main supply conduit 2 and passes through a hot water heater or heat storage reservoir 3 and from thence through a valve 4 4 to a supplyvconduit 5.o! a hot water space heating radiator system, or heat radiation section. The radiators in this system are indicated at 6 and are connected in series to the return conduit 7. This conduit leads to a pump 8 operated by motor 9. A A thermostatie device 10 controls the operation of 75 the motor 9. `This thermostatic device is subiect to room temperature and upon a predetermined drop in temperature closes a circuit 11 which controis the ilow of current from the main line to the pump motor 9, and also may control the operation of burner 12 in case the boiler is heated by the combustion of fluid fuel. If solid fuel is employed for heating the boiler, the thermostat circuit would be arranged for controlling the setting of the furnace dampersas well as the operation of pump motor 9. The operation of the oil burner may also be controlled independently of the pump motor 9 by a boiler thermostat 19.

The hot water heating section, or heat storage g reservoir 3, comprises a coil 13 housed in an en- 9o largement of the supply conduit 2 and forming part oi' a separate water circuit to which fresh water is supplied by the feed water pipe 14. The water heated in coil 13 circulates through a storage tank 15 from which conduit 16v leads to the water from the coil to the storage tank. Water is drawn from the tank, as r uned through the conduit 18. Y

' The valve 4 comprises a valve body having the internally threaded apertures 21, 22, 23 and 24 respectively for receiving the conduit25 connecting the valve with the water heater 3, conduit 26 connecting it with the radiator heating system supply conduit 5, conduit 2'1 for connecting the valve with the return side of pump 8 and conduit 28 returning to the'boiler. The valve 29 is pivoted at 30 within the .valve body and isnormally held against'its seats 31 and 32 formed within the valve heating system are closed, and the water from the boiler is circulated exclusively through the hot water heating section 3.

. When heat is required in the house heating system or heat radiating section, the thermostat 10 starts the motor 9, and the operation of pump 8 servesto cause'the water to impinge upon the lower half of' valve' 29 and open this valve, the

` water circulating inthe direction indicated by arrow 33, Fig. 2. The water from the boiler then circulates through the water heater 3 thence through the valve and through the house heating system.

Variations in the connections may be made from the particular illustration shown in the drawing, for example, the water from the boiler may iiow in series, as shown, through the .heater 3 and the hot water heating system or the heater 3 may be wholly independent of both the valve 4 and the radiator circuit, one essential feature of the improvement Ibeing the combination of the pump and the velocity operated valve means 4 whereby both the supply and return lines of the radiators are simultaneously opened or closed.

The latter insures that no circulation will take place through the radiator heating system when the pump is not in operation.

' Since the valve closes both the-radiator feedand return lines, the hot water cannot circulate into the radiators on the principle of the onepipe steam systems, as it would if only oneof the lines were closed, and thus bring about a house temperature that is higher than the temperature for which lthe thermostat l is set. When the pump is not operating,'the valve is seated, as iiow of water under the action of the pump is required to unseat the valve against the action of gravity.

The customary fittings, such as shut-oi! valves for the main conduits of the heating system are omitted and means for draining the system are not shown, except .that separate radiators may be drained by means indicated by the numeral 34,v Pls. 1.

trated, when heat is required in the house heating system, the thermostat clem the circuit,

-ilned by the following claims.

for the pump motor -9 and thepump then propels water'from the heating system through the conduit 27 and against the lower half oi valve 29 as indicated by the arrow 33 in Fig. 2. The valve is thus moved away from its seats 31 and 32, and the water from the boiler circulates throimh the water the water from the boiler is exclusively through hot water heater 3 to the return side oi' the boiler through the ports 21 and 24 of the valve 4. The

burner 12 may be stopped at the same time, but the excess heat which the boiler water receives is utilized for heating the water circulating through coil 13, to and from the supply tank`15.

Although but one specific embodiment-of -thisinvention has been herein shown/ and described, it` will be understood that certain details of the construction may be altered or omittedwithout departing from' the spirito! this invention as de- `necting-said water heater with' the boiler, and in- .conduits for'the radiator, the said radiator con- In the operation of the construction as illus.

I claim:

1. -In a hot water heating system the combination with a boiler, o! a water heater, conduits connecting said water heater with the boiler, and including 'a two-way valve structure having a valve element for directing the flow of water through said valve structure, a space heating circuit including a radiator and ,supply and` return conduits for the radiator, the said radiator con-l duits being connected separately with said valve structure, said valve element being arranged to close both said radiator supply and return conduits and allow circulation of hot water from the boiler exclusively through said hot water'heater and bacl to the boiler and to` be shiftable to a position opening both the radiator supply and return conduits and directing circulation through saidhot water heater and the radiator circuit serially and then back to the boiler, a thermostat positioned to beaffected ,by said radiator, and means controlled by said thermostat to eiect shifting of said valve element.

2. In a hot water heating system, the combination with a boiler, of a water heater, conduits concluding a two-way valve structure having a shiftable valve element for directing the ilow of water through said valve structure, a space heating circuit including a radiator and supply and return ,105 duits being connected separately with said valve structure, said valve element being arranged to normally close both said radiator supply and return conduits and allow circulation of hot water from the boiler exclusively through said water heater and back to the boiler and to be shiftable by a forced iiow of water to a position openingl both radiator supply and return conduits and aly lowing circulation through said hot water heater and the radiator circuit serially and then back to 'the boiler, a' thermostat positioned to be aifected by said radiator, and a pump in the radiator circuit controlled by said thermostat for forcing circulation of water through said radiator and shifting said valve element. 1

- 3. In a hot water heating system, the combination of a boiler, water heater, valve mechanism, and a radiator, all of which elements are connected in series, a return connection leading from the radiatorto said valve mechanism and thenceto said boiler, said valve mechanism being arranged to normally close circulation therethrough to and from the radiator and provide a by-pass from said heater to said boiler, said valve mechanimn being also arranged to bev actuated by a-130 forced iiow oi' water therethrough to open and permit circulation to and from said radiator and to simultaneously closelsaid by-.pas`s, and an intermittently operated pump arranged to force circulation through said radiator and to actuate saidvalve mechanism.

4. In a hot water heating system, the combination of a boiler, a supply conduit leading from the boiler, a return conduit leading tothe boiler,

a unitary valve structure connected with both of'140 the said boiler supply and return conduits, radiiators. radiator supply and return ccnduitsconnected between said valve structure and said radiators and communicating through said valve structure with the salav boiler supply and return-145.

conduitsrespectively, said valve structure including a shiftable gravitationallyseatedvalvaeley ment arranged to normally close communication between the respective boiler and radiator conj duits, and'means fo'r shifting said valve element 150 into a position opening communication between the respective boiler and radiator conduits comprising a pump connected with one of said conduits for forcing water therethrough and against said valve element to open the latter.

5. In a hot water heating system, the vcombina-` tion with a boiler and radiation means, oi a unitary valve housing having supply and return connections with said boiler and other supply and return connections with said radiation means, said boiler supply and return connections normally communicating with each other directly through said valve housing, and said valve housing being arranged to provide communication between both said supply connections and both said return connections, a water heater disposed in one of said connections between said valve housing and said boiler, shiftable valve means within said valve housing arranged to normally close both of said radiator supply and return connections, said valve means being shiftable to open said radiator supply and return connections to communication with said boiler supply, and return connections respectively and to simultaneously'close direct communicationv between said boiler supply and return connections, a thermostat positioned to be affected by` said radiation means, and means controlled by said thermostat to eiect shifting of said valve element.

6. In a hot water heating system, thecombination of a boiler, a supply conduit leading from the boiler, a return conduit leading to the boiler, a unitary valve structure connected with both of the said boiler supply and return conduits, radiators, radiator supply and return conduits connected between said valve structure and said radiators and communicating through said valve-` structure with the said boiler supply and return turn connections for said sections, and a circulating pump, all connected in series, of valve means arranged to automatically stop circulation through said radiating section and permit circulation through said water heating section alone, when said pump is stopped.

8. A hot water heating system, comprising a boiler, a heat storage reservoir, a heat'radiating section, and a circulating pump -operating intermittently, all connected in series, return connections between said storage reservoir and said boiler, return connections between said radiating section and said boiler, and valve means arranged toautomatically stop circulation through said radiating section and permit cicrulation through said storage section exclusively when said pump is stopped.

9. In a hot water heating system, the combination of a boiler, water heater, valve mechanism, and .a radiator, all of which elements are connected in series, said water heater being disposed between said valve mechanism and said boiler,

a return connection leading from the radiator to said valve mechanism and thence to said boiler, a passage between said boiler and water heater -by-passing said valve mechanism, said valve mechanism being arranged to normally vclose circulation therethrough to and from the radiator, said valve mechanism being also arranged to be actuated by a forced ilow of water therethrough to open and permit circulation to and from said radiator, and an intermittently operated pump arranged to forceI circulation through said radiator and to actuate said valve mechanism. l f

10. In a hot water heating system, the combination with a boiler, a water heater, a radiator, all of which are connected in series, and a return connection leading from .the radiator to the boiler, of valve means arranged to normallyclose circulation to and from the radiator, said'water heater being disposed between the valve means and the boiler, a passage between the water heater and the boiler by-passing the valve means, a thermostat positioned to be aiected by the radiator, and means controlled by thev thermostat to actuate said valve means to permit circulation to and from the radiator.

FREDERICK :CHARLES BRODERICKY. 

